affirm or deny as they see cause without being termed Blasphemers for so doing yea rather pity their mistakings nay the Jews that speak such opprobrious language of Christ as is not fit to be repeated denying not only his Godhead but his most holy and heavenly Conception yet are they not imprisoned nor Indicted for Blasphemers nor molested but suffered to live quietly amongst us for which way else shall they ever be converted to the Faith of Christ Why then is it so hainous a thing in M. Bidle to say he doth deny this or that opinion of Christ to that end it may be proved by Scripture Why doth not some zealous person shew him wherein he is mistaken without calling him a Blasphemer Will it suffize to quit a man from the guilt of such an ignominious appellation to believe every article of the Apostles Creed if it will it is then most certain this good man Mr. Bidle believes all and every Article thereof in every respect as they are there expressed If this will not suffize but that Athenasius his Creed must in every circumstance be believed also or those that cannot understand it and consequently cannot believe it in all points shall be deemed Blasphemers by most assuredly it would be thought too harsh a judgement for do you but observe with what satisfaction with how much alacrity the conscience closeth with the former saying I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his onely Son our Lord which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried descended into hell the third day he arose again from the dead and ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholique Church the Communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins the Resurrection of the body and the life ever lasting There being no Particle of this Belief as Mr. Bidle useth to affirm but that even in speaking it presents a plain place of Scripture to the minde for proofe thereof Whereas in reciting that of Athenasius which was the ground of that Ordinance of the Lords and Commons in making it Blasphemy to affirm so and so concerning Christ and the Holy Spirit what infinite doubts and scruples do arise as where it is said For there is one person of the Father another of the Son and another of the Holy Ghost but the Godhead of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is all one the glory equal the Majesty coeternal such as the Father such is the Son and such is the Holy Ghost the Father uncreate the Son uncreate and the Holy Ghost uncreate the Father incomprehensible the Son incomprehensible and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible the Father eternal the Son eternal and the Holy Ghost eternal and yet they are not three eternals but one eternal as also there are not three incomprehensibles nor three uncreated but one uncreated and one incomprehensible so likew se the Father is almighty the Son almighty and the Holy Ghost almighty and yet there are not three almighties but one almighty c. And in this Trinity none is before nor after another none is greater or lesser then another but the whole three persons be coeternal together and coequal c. It is true most men of years living in this Nation have through breeding and custome been formerly used to recite this Creed as what they did believe but how few there were that did truly understand it that is that did truly believe what they said and seemed to believe you can now very easily judg nay how glad would al ingenuous Christians be that these difficulties might without danger be clearly discussed by strength of Scripture that so men might no longer have things run in their mind as believed by them which in deed and in truth they do not understand nor are able to render a reason of the hope that is in them touching many of the particulars which is no better then hypocrisie and gross superstition for though men may hide their hearts from men yet from themselves and from God they cannot hide them Now because Mr Bidle hath laboured in this work to enquire how these obscure difficult expressions in this Creed are proved in Scripture which he taketh for the foundation of his faith and because he hath not been contented to take up other opinions concerning God according to the current of Interpreters of our times but still ground himself upon the Scripture for this cause only is he now a prisoner and for no other for this cause and none other doth his Accusers the Informers deem him unworthy to live But it is hoped with you he will find a much more charitable and Christian esteem for what at worst can be alledged against him or what can warrant the taking away of his life For admit the words or Books should be fully proved against him and that you should think such Accusers and Witnesses worthy of belief when not the glory of God or of Christ but their own gain hath set them on Admit that mens lives may be taken away by an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons out of time of Parliament which will not be granted England being to be ruled by Acts not Ordinances so as therein also the foundation fails for he is tried upon no other but an Ordinance Again suppose the Ordinance Law there is nothing of obstinacy expressed in the Indictment against Mr. Bidle without which he doth not offend against it but were the Ordinance in force it directs the prisoner to be Indicted the next Goal delivery but M. Bidle was not Indicted till the second Goal delivery after complaint and imprisonment wherefore the Ordinance is not pursued but the time prefixed elapsed Yet further admit there were an Act and in force yet that a Parliament can be trusted in matters of Religion and Conscience the Scripture never warranted men cannot trust because they must obey not what Parliaments establish but what the Scripture saith to their particular Consciences so as if Parliaments understand the Scriptures one way and you another whether are you to yeeld to their sense or your own whether are you to believe and worship as they direct or as you judg your selves directed by the Word of God so that the making of Laws by Parliaments in matters of Religion Faith and Gods Worship which God never did and men cannot trust them withal so that although this Ordinance were an Act and were not annihilated by the instrument of Government as indeed it is in Mr. Bidles case you could not with innocent consciences find him guilty upon it If Mr. Bidle be not protected by the instrument none are for you will find it evidently intended by the 36. 37. and 38. Articles which say thus 36 That
such or such Books but in pronouncing him guilty upon either of the Indictments you pronounce him a Felon and deservedly to die so that unless in every one of your consciences he appears worthy to die as a Felon you are in conscience bound to pronounce him not guilty otherwise you may be his destroyers before you are aware to your perpetual grief and anxiety of spirit for so it befel the Jury that were the Tryers of M. Vdall a worthy Minister of Gods Word in Queen Elizabeths days he was Indicted for High Treason in making and publishing a certain Book against the Government of the Bishops and though there was no direct but a scambling shadow of a proof and though the Books duly considered contained no colour of Treason or other crime no more then M. Bidles of Felony but such as the times since have proved as true as Truth its self yet the Jury not thinking in pronouncing him guilty they had pronounced him guilty of Treason and to die as a Traytor supposing they had only declared him guilty of making the Book hereupon they brought him in guilty but when after the Judges sentence of death against him which they never in the least intended that they found what they had done they were confounded in themselves and would have done any thing in the world to have revoked their Verdict when alas it was too late and therefore you are to be exceeding careful in this main particular never to pronounce him guilty unless your consciences are first satisfied he ought not to live but to die as a Felon which is altogether impossible if you shall seriously and deliberately weigh all circumstances touching the man his opinions For first as to the man he is so free from being questioned for any the least blemish in his life and conversation that the Informers themselves have been heard to admire his strickt exemplar life full of modesty sobriety and forbearance no ways contentious touching the great things of the world but altogether taken up with the things of God revealed in the holy Scriptures wherein his study diligence and attainments have been so great that his knowledg therein is of as ready use as a Concordance no part thereof being named but he presently cites the Book Chapter and ver especially throughout the Books of the New Testament where all the Epistles he can say by heart out of the Greek Tongue and withal can read the Greek in English and the English in Greek so readily as a man can do the meer English so carefully hath he been rightly to understand them As to the Justice and integrity of his heart his wayes have manifested that he would not dissemble play the Hypocrite or deal fraudulently with any man to save his life such is he certainly as is known to very many persons of worth and credit in London so as he is far from being such a Monster as many have believed him to be through the uncomely and unchristian-like clamours of his Accusers For his opinions you have heard at large and frequently with what he is charged not to believe be pleased to be so just to your selves and him as to give ear and seriously to note what he professeth and is known to believe there being a cloud of Witnesses ready to testifie that he makes it his glory to confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus to be his Lord and his God according to the Scripture John 20.28 to be his Saviour Acts 5.31 and by him doth believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory 1 Pet. 1.21 Having set him at his right hand Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him and that he is made unto us of God Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 3.30 That he is the only begotten Son of God and to be honored as the Father Iohn 5.23 that it is he that is ordained of God to be Judg of quick and dead Acts 10.41 that he is the Author of eternal life to all those that obey him Heb. 5.9 that there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4.12 that his Blood is the Blood of the new Covenant that is shed for many for the remission of sins Mat. 26.18 and that he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 How then or upon what ground can any man justly term him a Blasphemer he conceiveth to be according to the Scriptures if further then this he understands not and for want of understanding perceiveth not the Scriptures do maintain Christ the Son to be coequal coeternal and coessential with God the Father and thereupon should deny Christ to be the most high God shall he be put to death for it Surely none can suppose a man of so much learning discretion and piety can do this maliciously with full purpose to dishonor the Lord Christ whom he so much trusteth in and honoreth as is before expressed nay can it be supposed but that he who attributes so much honor to him as those Scriptures forecited manifest would with all his soul render him all whatsoever by any other Scriptures he understood to be his due nay the least measure of charity may very readily admit that if such a pious man as he is deny him any part of honor that he doth it because he conceives that granting of it would be to his dishonor and that he did believe he would be much displeased to have it attributed unto him shall this fear and wariness in him find admit that it were evidently an Error in his judgment no lower title then Blasphemy and for this will nothing satisfie the Informers but his life What thoughts have these men of the Lord Christ that came not to destroy but to save mens lives that will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax that called not the Sadduces Blasphemers nor Heretikes nor denounced judgment upon them either of imprisonment or death no though they came to tempt him though they denied the Resurrection and said there was neither Angel nor Spirit yea so far was our most merciful Lord Christ from so harsh a spirit that he saith John 12.47 48. If any man hear my words and believe not them I judg him not the word that I have spoken the same shall judg him at the last day and rebuketh those Luke 9. 54. who through a rash unadvised zeal much like what at best appeareth in these Prosecutors that would have called for fire from heaven to have consumed the Samaritans saying Yo know not what spirit you are of a sentence worthy to be written in letters of Gold in every place of Judicature in the world but especially in the hearts of all men trusted as you are with the lives of men Turks and Infidels are allowed in order to their conversion to ask any questions concerning God Christ or the Holy Spirit to
AN HUMBLE ADVISE TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD MAYOR THE RECORDER And the rest of the IUSTICES of the Honorable Bench. To the goodmen of the Jury and at the Sessions House in the Old-Bayley London in behalf of Mr. John Bidle Prisoner in Newgate SInce with the Aged there is Wisdome and with grey hairs discretion it were a sin to doubt your readinesse to hear and aptnesse to consider what the meanest hath to offer by way of clearing your passage in so dangerous a road as you are entering into if you shall proceed to the Triall of this learned Lamb like Christians Mr. John Bidle And though for other causes experience may have fortified your judgements so as Advise may seem presumption yet in that you have cause to doubt and to fear that you are pressed with these or the like snares through the subtil lyings in wait by which many holy innocent and precious mens lives have even in this place been causelesly taken away So therefore when you read the Books of the Martyrs of the Primitive times and of those in the bloody daies of Queen Mary or of the lesser sanguin daies of Queen Elizabeth you rejoyce with exceeding joy as you run over these sad stories finding none of your Predecessors hands in those bloody Councels or proceedings and would not for to gain the world be your selves guilty of the like Let therefore your proceedings be with circumspection lest afore you are aware you are intangled past hopes and do the things you have so much loathed in others And though you may all stand clear in this matter in the sight of God both in the present and for all future times be pleased according to your several places to consider what those things are wherein persons in the like places and in the like cases have been usually misled and it will appear in all times as in the present that the first evil which attends the Magistrates to incite and stir them up against conscientious persons is the mistaken or unin formed zeal of Prosecutors of which no time was ever wanting who having got an ordinance or Act of Parliament the Decree of a Councell or Assembly of Divines declaring such or such opinions to be Blasphemous Heretical or Schismatical think they need no more for their warrant but presently fall to their business watching and spying over the works and writings of conscientious persons Thus having by an uncomely or unhandsome kind of diligence gotten something which they suppose Parliament Laws judg Blasphemy instantly they run therewith unto the Magistrate crying out Blasphemy Blasphemy never such Blasphemy since the world was created name the persons the place the writings and cry out for Justice which in their sense is a present seizure and imprisonment of the person thus cried out on What a strait now in this case is the Magistrate in if he enquire after the Justice of the Law or the nature of the opinion against which Blasphemy is cried or after the peaceableness of the Party or his responseableness or readiness to appear if he incline to send gently for him and use not the utmost rigour his authority can warrant he likewise for his meer ingenuity and humanity herein incurs the censure of favouring Heretikes Schismatikes and Blasphemers so as the Magistrate even against his own inclinations is as it were surprized and inforced by importunate elamors to deal with godly peaceable people oftentimes as with the most notorious Thieves Harlots and Murtherers sending for them by like Warrants and no nay but Bail must be refused sent to the same infamous prisons as this Mr. Bidle to Newgate to be tried for his life as a Blasphemer This is the first evil the Magistrate is liable to in occasions of this nature and is the cause of all succeeding evils and being so how necessary is it for all Honorable persons in Authority to stand upon their Guard against such dangerous assaults as these which if yeelded unto in the end draweth on them that fearful sentence James 5. 6. Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you a heavy sentence and due to too many of your Predecessors in this place for want of a timely and conscionable consideration of the dangerness of the thing they had in hand God evert it from your Honorable Society All agree that it is best to kill temptation in the bud and therefore to be provided against these clamorous onsets is the best part of prevention to which end it is requisite to be skilful in the conditions of these viz. Mr. Thomas Vnderhill Luke Faune Nathanael Webb and George Calvert and the like Informers also in the true nature of Blasphemy and to be able to distinguish of opinions and to try them by some more certain Touchstone then by the imperfect Vote of Parliaments Synods Councels or Assemblies al which have most grosly erred frequently condemned Truth for Error nay established Error by a Law and suppressed the most certain Truths by which the most righteous and godly in this Nation have under pretence of Law which is grievous injustice been banished imprisoned tormented murthered As to the condition of these Informers how good an esteem soever some may have of them yet they are very like unto those tumultuous persons in Acts 16.19 who caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the Market place unto the Rulers and brought them to the Magistrates saying These men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our City and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive nor to observe being Romans Here was a specious pretence as if the trouble of the City lay heavy at their hearts and set the men to complain and it is like enough the Magistrates believed them to be well-meaning people zealous of the good and quiet of their Country nor ever had been otherwise understood but that it pleased the holy Spirit of God for discovery of such Hypocrites and for forewarning all Magistrates against such clamorous deceivers to demonstrate in the 16. v. that the true cause of their complaint was the loss of their gains which they wickedly made out of the Damsels evil Spirit of Divination whom Paul cast out Whereunto agreeable is that also of Demetrius in Acts 19. where their gain by making shrines being in danger to be taken away by Pauls Doctrine he and his Accomplices sticks not by his clamors to put the whole City into an uproar so you see it is no new thing for fear of loss and hope of gain to move the Springs of the heart with a wicked suggestion when the tongue and face speaks nothing but Religion and publike zeal and if the ways of Informers in all former Ages were looked into even from the Persecution in the Primitive times to the times of John Huss Jerom of Prague William of England and throughout all the daies of Queen Mary Qu. Elizabeth King James and King Charles through all which times more
or less there was persecution for Conscience it was grosly manifest that fear of loss and hope of gain were the only or chief motives to all the Informers so as at best it renders these suspected and they may be as guilty as any of the former though they themselves perceive it not for the heart is deceitful above all things nor doth any thing benum the conscience and blind the understanding so much as fear of loss and hope of gain And if these mens ways be thought on it will be more then probable that they are not clear in this matter being for the most part Booksellers it 's known that Books of Divinity are their chiefest sale both in Sermons and other Treatises and that they buy and somtimes pay dear for their Copies Now the opinions which are charged upon Mr. Bidle are cross and contradictory to the grounds of their most staple Copies and to the main part of their sale and consequently threatens their gain Is there not then a strong provocation upon their spirits to withstand such Doctrines and to take up the same course to do it by stirring up the Magistrate to imprison and put to death such Blasphemers for less they cannot call him to have him effectually silenced If it be not thus why of all sorts of men that daily have heard and read Mr. Bidles judgment without trouble or regret of mind nay though not of his judgment yet honoring and highly esteeming of him for his manifest piety of life and great learning why should the Traders in books be so violent against him as that nothing but his life will satisfie them Why have not some of those who often hear him Why not some of the private Churches that are most of them opposite in judgment Why have not they persecuted him and in detestation of his opinions forced him before the Magistrates so to prison and persecute him to the death Do they all of them and all other conscientious people want zeal to God to Christ and to the holy Spirit to set them on Nay why startle they not but on the contrary divers of the gathered Churches and other well-affected persons petition his Highness appear against his molestation and earnestly press for his liberty but because they know whatever his judgment is the way to make him of another belief is not by imprisonment or fear of death Christ nor his Apostles having left any such rule but by admitting the points in difference to be freely disputed and examined and as the noble Bereans to search the Scriptures whether those things are so or no Som what must be the matter that these Booksellers thus bestir themselves above others wherefore it is the best and safest course for the Magistrate upon such strong presumption to provide against the worst and to conclude them at best but dangerous Informers most pernicious counsellors and not in the least to be swayed by their specious pretences of zeal but to suspect all their suggestions as proceeding from covetous and corrupt hearts for were they indeed so sensible of Christs Honor as they would be thought certainly you would find them first purging their own shops of all kinds of Popish and wanton scurrilous books invented purposely to corrupt and vitiate youth or if they can excuse themselves herein which some will not credit yet they cannot but know such as those are thick and threefold sold round about them and yet their zeal burns not that way at all the reason whereof what can it be but that it opposeth not their way of gain else would not they offer one Petition more in behalf of the Protestant cause for the suppressing such Books and the imprisoning such persons as writes them who nautiate youth and hath no pretence of Conscience from the Word of God to shelter them but that I say it hinders not their way of gain as they understand M. Bidles Books Doctrins or Opinions do which makes them so maliciously zealous against him and to let the others go scot-free Magistrates were they thus rightly informed of the condition of these informers and thus strongly armed against such clamorous zealots they would not so suddenly nor so reproachfully dispose of the persons of men fearing God as throughout all former times was lamentably done and somwhat too much in Mr. Bidles case they would then have time to deliberate upon the matter before they sent a man to prison they then no doubt would exercise their own judgments as Christians and see what is alledged against any man and deal as becometh Christian Magistrates according to the known and revealed Word of Christ manifested in the holy Scriptures Which word of Truth being not yea and nay as Parliaments General Councels Synods and Assemblies have all proved in the most material points in Religion as your Honors the Bench and Jury cannot but effectually know For one Councel determining that the Son of God was the most high God another Councel as namely that of Ariminum consisting of no less then four hundred Bishops decrees point blank as we are wont to say against the former that the Son of God was not the most high God but a distinct Essence from him and subordinate unto him This instance amongst many have I produced to shew the mutability of Councels as also to shew how cautious you should be of putting to death a learned man for that opinion which so many learned and famous men not only have been but still are in the world of his opinion as you shall hear if you enquire of those who have been in Poland Holland c. This blessed unerring rule viz. the holy Scripture to Conscience being sincerely looked into it will impartially discover both to Judg and Jury what M. Bidles opinions are and how he is to be dealt withall concerning them without a single ear given whereunto the Laws of Parliaments may so on cause you all to be most grievous transgressors of the Laws of God and to be more guilty in his sight before whom one day you must all be judged then those Prisoners you condemn Whatsoever therefore the Law of the Lord sayes to your understandings in this case of M. Bidles let none by no arts draw you from enquiring into the Seriptures for satisfaction in every particular In which enquiry though your Honor Mr. Recorder and the whole Honorable Bench are all highly concerned to look unto it that you may acquit your selves before the judgment seat of Christ and be able to render an account with joy Yet you good men of the Jury are more neerly concerned to be exact and faithful therein for it s your Verdict your guilty or not guilty that saves or destroys his life which you are mainly to note and to lay to heart and to be all along mindful of it that if you pronounce him guilty which God defend you do not only find him guilty of speaking such or such words or of writing and publishing